Lead Mechanical Engineering

Together with 6,900 colleagues worldwide, we are the strategic lifecycle partner for the pharmaceutical, biotech, and food industries. We help our customers achieve their goals with seamless processes, innovative technologies, and sustainable solutions. We ensure vaccines are safely filled and that tablets can fully release their active ingredients. Your favorite chocolate and snacks are also sustainably packaged with our help.

Kliklok International Ltd., based in Bristol, UK, is part of the Syntegon Group. We specialize in highly efficient and reliable secondary packaging machinery, with Syntegon technologies used in bakery, snack, cereal, frozen and refrigerated foods, and confectionery.

Lead Mechanical Engineer (split role — 20% leadership / 80% hands‑on engineering)

This is a hybrid role where you’ll both lead the Mechanical Engineering function within PAGS and remain actively involved in customer and development projects. You’ll drive design quality, standardisation and team alignment while owning projects from concept through build, commissioning and installation — setting the standard for our world‑class machinery.

You’ll balance people leadership and process improvement with senior engineering delivery on key projects, working closely with the 2P Product Manager and cross‑functional teams.

• Lead Mechanical Engineering activities within PAGS while delivering hands‑on engineering on customer and development projects.
• Support and develop the team to improve design quality, standardisation and engineering methods.
• Own the full product lifecycle: concept, detailed design, build support, commissioning and installation.
• Collaborate with the 2P Product Manager to stay at the peak of technology and apply best practices.
• Act as senior engineer on projects, ensuring successful delivery to internal and external stakeholders.

You will shape team capability, manage engineering effort and deliver projects to plan, quality and budget.

• Contribute to engineering planning and recruitment, and identify areas for departmental improvement.
• Coordinate with other Engineering Leads and monitor engineering hours and capacity.
• Deliver project milestones when working directly on projects; follow processes and provide required reporting.
• Design mechanical systems using SolidWorks and DBWorks, and produce BOMs with Agile PLM tools.
• Ensure mechanical compliance with CE, CSA and UL standards where applicable.

This role requires strong business understanding, broad capital equipment experience and the ability to travel internationally.

• Strong business acumen and the ability to engage at all organisational levels, internally and with customers.
• Extensive engineering experience in capital equipment manufacturing — ideally within the packaging industry.
• Valid passport and willingness to travel domestically and internationally as required.
• Full driving licence and flexibility to visit sites and customers.
• Practical knowledge of business processes for capital equipment manufacturers.

Your performance will be judged on delivery outcomes, team effectiveness and the quality of engineering practice.

• Leading information cascade and building team structure and morale.
• Coordinating the team to achieve on‑time delivery against programme milestones.
• Hitting project budget targets while improving design quality and standardisation.
• Raising the standard and quality of applied engineering methods and tools.
• Improving repeatability and cost‑efficient design across the machine portfolio.

We seek a senior mechanical engineer with proven design, manufacturing and leadership capabilities.

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (or equivalent) with ~10 years’ mechanical engineering experience, preferably in packaging/capital equipment.
• Strong 3D modelling skills (preferably SolidWorks) and ability to produce detailed 2D production drawings with tolerances.
• Experience designing for manufacture and assembly, including paper/carton feeding mechanisms and product handling.
• Solid understanding of servo motion technology, design‑to‑cost principles, troubleshooting and problem solving.
• Proficient with MS Office and experience using PLM/Agile tools, plus clear, methodical reporting and negotiation skills.

You’ll be a dependable leader and collaborator who drives results while supporting the team’s development.

• Excellent communicator (written, verbal and presentation) with strong interpersonal and cross‑cultural skills.
• Highly organised, dependable and detail‑oriented with excellent leadership skills.
• Team player who supports and develops colleagues, both internally and on customer sites.
• Strategic thinker with a practical, hands‑on approach and a continuous improvement mindset.
• Customer‑oriented, proactive and able to perform under pressure in a fast‑paced environment.

You’ll thrive if you enjoy creative engineering, hands‑on problem solving and working in multidisciplinary teams.

• Practical, hands‑on and creative with enthusiasm for engineering design.
• Strong attention to detail and a passion for delivering high‑quality machinery.
• Collaborative mindset and willingness to mentor and grow others.

• Competitive salary
• 25 days holiday per year + public holidays increasing to 28 after 5 years’ service
• Christmas shutdown period
• Simply Health Medical Cashback plan
• Pension Scheme with Aviva;ER contribution 4%, EE contribution 5% (min)
• Life Assurance benefit of 7 x annual salary (Provided by Yu‑Life)
• Cycle to work/Tech Scheme (once passed probation)
• Access to wellbeing support via Everymind at work.
• Staff discount for home appliances
• Discretionary company bonus scheme linked to company performance

Interested? Email with your questions.

Acquisition in response to this vacancy is not appreciated.